


I'm Yours and That's It (Forever)

by 530_and_some_fandoms



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, Drunk Tony Stark, F/M, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Protective FRIDAY, Protective Pepper Potts, Songfic, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, marvel songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24592921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/530_and_some_fandoms/pseuds/530_and_some_fandoms
Summary: Pepper Potts does many things. Breaking down the Compound door to save Tony from himself is one of them.OrWhere Tony won't answer Pepper's calls after Civil War and she is worried sick.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	I'm Yours and That's It (Forever)

**Author's Note:**

> This work is inspired by The Ballad of Love and Hate by the Avett Brothers. It's a really pretty song.
> 
> Also, I needed Pepper and Tony getting back together in writing.

Pepper held the phone to her ear, listening as it trilled. After a few seconds, Tony’s voice spoke, but it was only that of a voicemail that she had already heard several times that day. She sighed and set the phone down, looking around her apartment.

Ever since she heard about the fall out of the so-called “Civil War”, and after it had been confirmed that both Tony and Rhodey were, in fact, alive, she had been worried for Tony’s safety. Actually, worried was a tame word. Terrified was more like it. And though he had been sober for a couple of years now, she worried he would fall back into his old habits. This would be an understandable time to. First Pepper broke up with him, then the team he had poured into and probably loved more than they ever loved him left him all alone. 

But he refused to answer all of her calls. She was half tempted to drive over to the Avengers Compound herself and make sure he was all right, and if need be, give him an earful for not answering her calls. She had been worried sick after all. Then again, who knew what that would cause?

So instead she waited. And hoped. 

~<>~

Tony picked up the phone that rang for the fourth time in three hours. Or at least he hoped it was three hours. Otherwise he would have missed Rhodey’s therapy session, and that would be bad for the both of them, as he was supposed to give him new leg braces to try out. 

He half expected the call to be Rhodey, but no. It was Pepper. Again. 

Part of him ached to pick up the phone, to hear her voice again, but he declined the call anyway. It was too soon after both she and the Avengers left, about two months and a month and a half respectively. 

The past month had been more emotionally taxing than any other in the past years. And if Pepper wanted to call, by all means she could, but Tony didn’t want to pick up and let her back into his life for her to leave again. 

Tony sighed, putting his phone down and turning back to his work. 

“If she calls again, send her to voicemail,” he said wearily to Friday. 

“Of course Boss,”

~<>~

Pepper called again after making dinner for herself (and reflexively making a second portion. She told herself it was for lunch tomorrow, and that’s why she made it, but she knew she was lying to herself). She was sent straight to voicemail. 

Pepper knew she shouldn’t be surprised. She had called countless times already, and it was really only a matter of time until this happened. She just hated being in the dark.

But it still hit hard, reducing her to eating her homemade meal curled up on the couch, watching a rom com that she didn’t particularly like, not having the energy to change the channel. She was overreacting, she knew that, but it felt better than sitting at the table all alone. 

As she watched the bland movie, she also cursed herself for not calling Rhodey in this situation. Of course she had called before to make sure he was okay, but that had been weeks ago. So she picked up her phone yet again.

Rhodes, unlike Tony, answered. 

“Hey Pepper,” he said as soon as he picked up.

“Hi. How are you?” 

“Good, or as good as you can be when you’re paralyzed from the waist down,” he gave a dry, humorless laugh that caused Pepper to frown. But before she could say anything in response, Rhodey spoke again.

“But Tony’s braces are really helping. Therapy isn’t great, there is some improvement,” 

“I hate to say this, but it could be worse,” 

“It could definitely be worse,” he agreed. 

After a beat of silence, Pepper spoke. 

“How’s Tony. He wouldn’t pick up my calls,”

Rhodey took a minute, considering his words,”

“He’s doing… better. He’s in the lab a lot more and I have to make sure he actually eats and sleeps, but like you said. It could be worse,” 

“He’s not drinking, is he?” Pepper whispered, even though there was no one in the room with her. 

“As far as I know, he hasn’t had a drop,” 

~<>~

` Tony cursed himself as he took another swig of beer. 

He had been doing so good,  _ so good _ , but it always came down to this. Alcohol to drown out his hurt. Drunkenness to quiet his mind. 

Though beer wasn’t the strongest thing in the alcohol cabinet that was mostly for show, a good six glass bottles stood in a line in front of him and his mind was foggy already. His thoughts and sorrows were disappearing as he took a long drink.

_ Good _ , he thought. 

He was all alone in the lab, and no one would come down here anyway. Rhodey didn’t like to come down in a wheelchair, and Vision was out and about. He was one of the only two souls left in the Compound. 

He didn’t know what had pushed him to drink. Pepper left two months ago and he didn’t drink. Not one drop. He was too busy trying to cooperate with the government so that his whole world wouldn’t fall apart with the signing of the Accords. He didn’t drink when the Avengers became fugitives. He was too busy trying to pardon them. He didn’t drink when he came home, battered and broken, after being told that Barnes had killed his mother, though he wished he did. Maybe he would have forgotten the unspeakable act Barnes had committed, though Tony knew that if Barnes had been in control, the thought of killing Tony’s parents never would have crossed his mind. There had been countless loud opportunities, but this quiet moment seemed to be his breaking point. 

Maybe it was that Pepper called today, or that they seemed to be going backwards in terms of Rhodey’s therapy. He was still drinking; the reason for it didn’t really matter now. 

A seventh and eighth bottle lined themselves up beside their brothers, and Tony’s vision was swimming in a haze of alcohol. 

_ This is fine _ , Tony thought, opening his ninth bottle,  _ this is the last one _ . 

He knew it probably wouldn’t be. 

~<>~

Pepper got a phone call at about one in the morning. 

She reached for it, bleary-eyed, and had to blink several times to read the caller ID. It was Friday. Pepper frantically picked up.

“What’s happened,” she demanded. If Friday had to call her, it must not be good. It had to have been terrible actually. Pepper’s stomach swooped with anxiety. 

“Boss has gotten quite drunk in his lab. If someone doesn’t intervene, he might give himself alcohol poisoning. You are the closest able bodied person to his location” Even the A.I. sounded worried. Pepper would have to applaud Tony on that when he wasn't half dead. For now, she had to worry about saving his life. 

Pepper jumped out of bed and threw on a sweatshirt (one of Tony’s) to fight the bitter chill of the night, before hopping in her car to speed to the compound as fast as she could. If she broke several speed limits on the way, well, no one was awake to see her. 

Despite her rush, Pepper arrived at the Compound about 45 minutes later, which was 45 minutes too long in her opinion. She screamed into the long driveway and got out of her car as soon as she reached the sweeping entrance. She dashed out of the car, barely taking the time to realize she didn’t put on any shoes, and ran inside the Compound. 

“Friday, where is he?” she asked Friday as soon as she got inside.

“Boss is currently in his Lab,” Pepper only nodded in response before running down the stairs and to the Lab. 

When she got there, the doors opened on their own accord, and Pepper ran into the lab. 

It took a moment to identify Tony in the mess of his lab. Metal equipment and tools lay everywhere, littered with a fair bit of trash and dirty dishes. Some things were on the floor, seemingly knocked or thrown there by their dented appearance. 

But then she found Tony, laying on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. For a terrifying second, she thought he had died, but then he blinked and reached around for one of the only upright bottles that littered the floor beside him.

Pepper approached him carefully, prying his hands off the bottle he grasped when she was close enough. 

“Oh Tony,” she said softly, sitting beside him on the couch. His unfocussed eyes met hers.

“Pep?” he slurred, “What are you doing here?” 

“You were drinking,” it was more of a statement than an answer. 

“Well, in my defense, this isn’t the worst thing you have caught me doing,” Pepper smiled a little at the old joke, but it didn’t make her feel any better. 

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“‘M the one who should be sorry. ‘M the reason everything is so fucked up,” 

“No you aren’t,” Pepper said softly, her words choked up with unfallen tears, “Those… idiots are the reason everything is so fucked up. I’m the reason everything is so fucked up,” 

“No you’re not,” Tony slurred, wiping a tear that fell from Pepper’s eye, “You’re perfect,” Pepper gave a choked up laugh. 

“Well, you’re perfect too,” Pepper said quietly. Tony laughed humorously. 

“Don’t pretend you think that. ‘M not perfect by any means,” 

“Maybe not. But I like you better not dead,” Pepper said. “Let’s get you upstairs,” 

Pepper slung Tony’s arms around her shoulders and dragged him up off the couch. He groaned as he stood up, and said something incoherent. Pepper stopped for a second, making sure he was okay, before dragging him forward and out of the lab. It was hard; Tony wasn’t helping at all, to out of it to use his legs properly. Ever so often, he murmured something Pepper couldn’t understand, but she nodded anyway. It took a couple minutes to get to their destination, what with Pepper basically dragging Tony.

“Hey Pep?” Tony mumbled as they walked into his room. The bed was neatly made and everything was tidy. Pepper wondered if Tony had been sleeping on the couch for the past few weeks. 

“Yeah?” 

“I think I can make it from here,” Pepper scoffed, depositing Tony on his bed, then grabbing sleep clothes from the drawer to replace Tony’s soiled clothes. 

“I don’t think you could survive without me,” 

Tony was quiet for a minute before speaking again. 

“Yeah, I think you're right,” Pepper decided not to say anything. He was tired, and probably wouldn’t remember this in the morning. Moreover, Pepper herself was exhausted.

She helped Tony get dressed and in bed before pulling an overstuffed chair to the bedside and curling up.

“Will that be all Mr. Stark?”

“That will be all Ms. Potts,” Pepper smiled. 

Yes, he might not remember how she got there in the morning, or why she came back in the first place, but one thing was for sure; Pepper Potts wasn’t leaving Tony Stark anytime soon. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated!


End file.
